far away (but ever close)
by thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: A collection of six to ten sentence sentence drabbles for The Hobbit of all types and pairings. Pairings currently include: Fikiliel, Tauriel/Beorn, Thilbo, Dwori, Sigriel, Filiel and Kiliel, Boffins, Orilik, and Taurwen, along with gen stories
1. Neat & Tidy (Fikiliel)

When Tauriel had heard of Erebor, she had been told stories about gleaming gold, shining gems, and glistening marble hallways - not dust and the stench of dragon feces (yet another way the dead dragon still lingered on in the mountain).

Fili and Kili were bent over on the floor, scrubbing away at the dirty floor. The two had been working for some time, and finally the floor was again beginning to gleam.

Tauriel continued sweeping, getting as much dust and dirt as she possibly could.

Kili looked up and wiped sweat from his brow. "Fili and I really appreciate you helping us clean, Tauriel, but we'd much rather have you sweep us off our feet."


	2. Wild Things (Tauriel x Beorn)

He could still remember the fear in his heart, the ache in his body as he had struggled to rescue the woman in the water. She had looked so alone, her pale face bobbing along the water, her mouth gasping and struggling for air as her feet kicked at the cold water of the Enchanted River, and her red hair spilled out.

Only when he was back home and she was fed and warm did she say her name.

"Tauriel," she had said, voice shaky. And that was all she knew, because the river stole everything else (and probably would have taken her name as well had Beorn not rescued her in time).

Once she began to heal, her body rejuvenating, did she again pick up a bow (and how she held it and used it, as if she knew everything about it) and roam Beorn's lands freely. When she discovered he was also a bear, her face remained blank, her body calm. She still touched him gently and have him kind, genuine smiles that made his heart race and body fill with warmth.

Sometimes Beorn had to wonder if he knew more about Tauriel than she herself did.

If he knew anything, then it was that she too was a wild thing like him.


	3. Shadows (Thilbo)

After a while (be it minutes, hours, or days), Bilbo got used to the shadows, to the grey land that hid his form and blurred his vision. Ever quiet as a mouse, he moved away from Gandalf and the elven and human camps, and snuck back into the cold mountain that still smelled of Smaug's smoke. The dwarves, like the elves and humans, were busy preparing for war, with grim, cold eyes and deep frowns.

Even though he was unseen, Bilbo hung to the side, watching his former friends from a distance, keeping himself backed up against a chilly stone wall.

Thorin, standing tall and straight backed, discussed strategies, plans, and orders with a nearly monotone voice, save for a few sharp words.

The last one made Bilbo wince and lean further against the wall, as if it would swallow him (and with a surely bloody battle coming, it seemed like far less worse of a fate). Thorin didn't want him, didn't need him (and how different that was from the words that he had whispered to Bilbo at Beorn's, when they had huddled close and both finally had a peaceful night sleep after what had felt like ages).

For a moment, Bilbo's eyes wondered down to the glinting grey metal ring on his finger. It felt normal on his finger, as if the (precious) thing had been made for him - a glue to hold him together when everything he loved fell apart, and everyone he loved turned away from him.

Perhaps, he thought, looking up from his ring to the grey figure of Thorin Oakenshield, I will never take it off again.


	4. You and Me (and My Brothers) (Dwori)

It was one of those rare nights when Nori actually bothered to come home, but also the worst possible night (and one of the only nights that Ori had been sure his brother would never come home). Dwalin didn't see the way Ori stiffened in his chair, nor did he immediately notice the thief either, as his face was planted firmly on the plate of food below him.

Ori's own stomach churned, and suddenly the rest of his dinner didn't look so appetizing.

Maybe it was because Dwalin was there, or maybe it was because no one had left a chair out for him, but Nori scowled. His eyes were as sharp as the daggers he owned.

While Ori all but turned into a statue, Dori looked up, face blank. "Nori," he said, voice monotone and eyes as unreadable as Elvish, "you came home."

"I did, and to find my mortal enemy and brothers eating at the same table!"

Dori's face softened as he gestured to Ori and Dwalin (who was just now looking up from his plate with recognition) to Nori himself. "It's only a get together meeting, a way for Dwalin to introduce himself before he courts Ori - and what a perfect match a good, respectable man like him seems for your younger brother."


	5. No Lies Told (Gen)

The stone was a slightly heavy, cool weight in her hands. Even though it had been months since she had last touched it, it felt all too familiar in her hands.

"You kept it," Dis remarked, turning it over in her hands and running her fingers over its cold surface.

"Did you think that I would lose it?" Kili grinned, a familiar sight, yet one that she had not seen in months.

Dis reached forward, pulling her son into a tight hug.

Kili squeezed her back with newly muscular arms. He truly had changed while on the quest. "I would never break a promise to you, Mother."


	6. Where She Once Stood (Sigriel)

Tauriel walked slowly, eyes wide as she took in the sights. She had heard word of the former splendor of Dale, considered one of the richest town of men, with it's many merchants and constant flow of money. Whatever those stories described, nothing compared to what Tauriel saw in front of her.

Yes, there were grand buildings and merchants of all types selling items from anywhere and everywhere, but there was also laughter over where ash had once sat, the last remains of a dead and forgotten city. Now, it seemed everyone had a smile on their face and a place to go, and Tauriel joined in easily with the crowd.

Walking through the crowd, she trekked through the city with her bow on her back. It was only when she neared a castle, one even more splendid than any Tauriel had seen before, that she saw Sigrid. Sigrid, who had first caught Tauriel's eyes years before was rich now, a princess, and certainly much older. Age had done her well, and though she had changed it was still easy to find the woman who had remained ever in Tauriel's mind - the very thought of whom had brightened the elf.

And, judging by the way that their eyes met even while Tauriel still had others all around her, Sigrid had noticed her as well.


	7. A Push in the Right Direction (Thilbo)

Bilbo barely had any room to walk around his own home, and it was so loud that he couldn't even hear himself think. Considering the fact that they had just eaten dinner, he would have thought that the dwarves were tired and ready to get some rest before their big (and quite ridiculous) adventure in the morning.

His parents were lucky, he realized, as not only were they able to float through or above the dwarves, but they could watch the whole spectacle without the dwarves ever seeing them (though the dwarves at the door had still given Bungo Baggins's old, dead heart quite a shock).

"Bilbo," Belladonna said, her voice close and her cold, misty aura even closer, to where it tickled the back of Bilbo's neck, "this adventure would be good for you."

"It'd do you some good, Bilbo."

The voice was most definitely his father's, who was now smiling and fondly glancing over at the dwarves.

"What?" Bilbo asked, eyes turning to where his father floated, keeping his voice low so none of the dwarves could hear him and wonder why he was talking to the air.

"You'd die of boredom staying here," Belladonna said, "and besides, you and that broody dwarf have been making love eyes at each other all night."

Bilbo wanted to reply, but just looked to the ground in an attempt to hide his flushing cheeks; neither of his parents seemed afraid of letting him go - after all, if he really met the furnace with wings, the worst thing that could happen is that he would end up like them.


	8. Fix it Fili and Tauriel Calhoun (Filiel)

"That game you're in," Fili commented, as if to fill the silence, "must be really hard on weapons. I feel sorry for those poor bows and swords."

Tauriel laughed, a rare sound that sent warmth running through Fili's pixelated body. "Oh, those spiders can be a pain when they want to be, Fili. When they aren't taking over the forest, they're taking our weapons down with their corpses; Legolas had to use all his strength to pull a knife out from one of the spider's legs, though it somehow was still whole."

"And you needed help with this," Fili said, raising up his hammer.

"Of course," Tauriel said, wiping some red hair away from her eyes, a small smile dancing across her lips.

"I'm always glad to help a lady in need," he said, returning the smile and tapping her bow with the end of his hammer. Their hands touched for a moment, and the ache from being played all day finally wore off. Fixing Tauriel's supplies was part of his daily to do list once the arcade closed, but he wouldn't have missed that time for the world (or all the gold medals in it).


	9. Glow (Fikiliel)

"Are you an angel?" The words had barely left Kili's cracked lips and dry throat before a sob escaped Tauriel's throat and tears from her eyes, and Fili encased Tauriel in his arms; neither said anything, just held the other close.

Tauriel still seemed to be glowing, embracing Kili's brother and letting his blond hair shine. Truly she must have been an angel, one of the most kind hearted, as she comforted Fili and looked over Kili with warm, soft eyes that reminded him of his mother's.

"You came back."

That seemed to only make Tauriel cry harder, and brought tears to Fili's own eyes, and a cold dread suddenly filled his stomach, something that no kings foil could fix (angels in stories never cried). Kili bit his lip, his vision still shaking and struggling to take in anything that was not his brother and Tauriel in the strange Lake Town home.

Tauriel suddenly leaned forward, placing a hand on his head and burying her soft, thin fingers in his dark hair. Her eyes shone for a moment, gleaming like two blue stars, and her voice was soft as she spoke. "How could I not help you two while you were in need of my help?"


	10. Dandelions (Sigriel)

Flowers surrounded the land, burying the grass under a sea of daisies, poppies, and lilacs. Tauriel had taken careful steps when she had arrived in the field, avoiding stepping on the flowers as best as she possibly could, and even lay down in them carefully.

Beneath the sun, the flowers shone brightly, as if declaring their colors to the sky. A soft breeze blew, sending both Tauriel and Sigrid's hair flying, and causing the flowers to stir and dance.

A few dandelions hung in between, some with bright yellow tops and others with white manes. Tauriel had heard that men called them weeds, though she could never see why; how could a weed be so beautiful? Tauriel could still remember before, long before Sigrid was even born, when the fields beyond Dale were nothing but ash after Smaug's attack, and where nothing dare grow, weed or flower.

In one hand, Sigrid held the stem of a puffy white dandelion, and in the other she cradled Tauriel's own hand, and ran her thumb gently over Tauriel's palm.

"I heard," Tauriel said, her voice soft, "that if you blow on a dandelion, like the one you have there, and make a wish on it, then that wish will come true."

"Too bad I have nothing to wish for then," Sigrid said with a smile, just before she brought the dandelion to her lips and blew, sending a flurry of seeds into the air.


	11. Third Time's the Charm (Fikiliel)

**TW: Miscarriages, Pregnancy**

The third time was supposed to be the last time, just as they had all promised to each other. Tauriel had promised that to Fili (the responsible one, the one that seemed to be able to swallow the pain easiest), and eventually made herself promise the same thing. It was their last chance before they gave up and moved on, and she had promised herself to make it count.

It seemed that she had broken that promise.

Fili and Kili were on both sides of her, with Fili rubbing his hand along the small of her back, and Kili running his fingers through her hair; normally, the touches would have been welcome and comforting.

She had tried to make it count, she truly had, and it hadn't been hard with not one but two husbands. First she had tried with both, expecting the child to be a surprise resembling one or the other, and after that had failed (when they never even got to see how the little one looked), she had gone to bed with each individually. Fili had failed, as had Kili, and the painful process had repeated two times more, until there was no way to get another chance.

"It's fine, Tauriel," Kili said, leaning in closer to her.

Fili spoke as well, and she wanted to listen, she truly did; her ears, however, no longer seemed to process anything, and her eyes no longer forced tears, and could only stare at the empty space between her open legs where their still, unmoving, and tiny child had come out of her, just when she thought that finally she had been able to beat the odds and that everything would turn out fine.


	12. Heart (Thilbo)

"The stone," Smaug said, his voice echoing across the mountain walls. He leaned his long red snout forward, as if gesturing to the shining stone on the ground. "What a beauty it is, even for something that isn't gold."

Gold - the word sent a shiver through Bilbo's body, and he almost slipped his ring back on.

"The heart of the mountain," Smaug continued, stepping forward, gold coins and jewels moving underneath his scaly feet, "is what I have heard it call. I, however, would go so far as to call it the heart of Thorin Oakenshield."

The words made Bilbo freeze, long before he could get his ring back on his finger.

"It seems you finally figured out a way to possess his heart," Smaug said with a chuckle, and continued speaking before Bilbo could protest. "I understand now; take it, thief, with my blessing, and see what it does to the one you love!"

The words made Bilbo shudder, but he grabbed the glittering stone anyway (because Thorin wanted, no needed, it) and ran to the mountain's exit, waiting for the blast of fire that would turn him to dust (the blast that never came).


	13. Bandages (Sigriel)

Sigrid applied ointment before adding a new bandage, working carefully as she had been taught. Tauriel's face was blank, holding that strange stoic expression that only elves could make.

"You had me worried," Sigrid said as she wrapped a bandage around Tauriel's arm.

"It had to be done," Tauriel replied, looking down to her lap. "With spiders in Mirkwood and orcs attacking Erebor, there's hardly any time for me to rest."

"It is your job," Sigrid replied, examining her eyes over the bruises covering Tauriel's skin. She could still remember a time, back when she and her siblings were still young, where there had not only been orcs and spiders around, but a very dragon; Tauriel could surely remember it too, and Sigrid was sure that Tauriel was glad to not be fighting that beast any longer. "I just worry about you, Tauriel; that is my job." With her free hand, Sigrid squeezed Tauriel's hand, and relaxed once the elf squeezed back.


	14. Haunts (Filiel)

There was an emptiness to Erebor, a stillness that hung over the inside of the mountain like a fog that no number of dwarves could shake away; it was as if the very mountain was afraid, waiting for the dragon to return from its watery grave and to steal back its golden hoard once more.

Tauriel moved her broom with fury, making every swipe count. There was so much dust in the mountain, and it was only through hard work that anyone would again get to see it shine.

"What room did this use to be, before you gave it to me?" Tauriel asked, eyes wondering over to Fili, the only other dwarf in the room.

"I can't be sure," Fili admitted, his eyes moving away from the shining stone mosaic that he had been polishing for a moment, "but I believe that this was once the chamber of an ancient queen, before the quarters of Erebor were moved." He paused for a moment, his entire body still save for his eyes, which seemed to struggle to take in everything. "You can feel her, can't you?"

"Huh?"

"The queen - like so many others when Smaug arrived, she was unable to escape the mountain, and became trapped inside, doomed to haunt her home stolen home forever."

Tauriel's hands loosened, the broom falling to the floor with a clunk that Tauriel did not even notice; her green eyes widened, and for a moment she wanted to bolt out of the room, to leave the dust be as it was before (because, despite Fili's protests this would never truly be her room, not truly).

"Such a sad story," Fili continued on, "and nothing but a story it is."


	15. Through the Dirt Covered Roads (Boffins)

Frodo was covered in mud - from his hairy feet to the hair on his head, some part of him was in wet dirt; Bofur, however, did not look much better with his muddy boots and stained clothes.

Bilbo stared at the two for a moment, as if the dirt covering the two made them look like complete strangers. "Well," he finally said, "I suppose dinner can cool while you to wash up. How did this even happen?"

"I went on an adventure, just like you did, Uncle Bilbo!" The young hobbit threw his hands into the air.

"And you needed your old Uncle Bofur to come rescue you," Bofur added, "or else you would have stayed outside all night."

"Adventures," Bilbo said with a smirk, "only make you late for dinner."

Bofur couldn't help but laugh. "Well, at least you weren't dragged into this one, Bilbo; though I must say, it was again over a rather large lizard."

Bilbo's face soured when he saw the green lizard Bofur pulled from his pocket - all the near foot of it - and Bofur had to keep himself from laughing again (though Frodo showed no such restraint).


	16. Invisible (Gen)

It was rather lonely with his precious gone; Gollum had never considered the fish swimming beneath the lake, moving through the dark and icy water, company (though they were rather tasty if he were to be honest), let alone the goblins. Were it not for the blanket of darkness, the cloak that blotted out all light in the underground cave, then he surely would have been killed by a goblin. Once he left it, he was no longer invisible.

Gollum tried to fill the silence, to end the loneliness. All those years in the dark (and how many he would never know, when time was swallowed by the cave's blackness and beaten by the lake's waves) and he had always had his birthday present to keep him company.

The dark was thicker now and his memories clearer; there was an old woman sitting beside him on a sunny bank sucking eggs with him, a bright eyed boy chasing him through sunny fields. Darkness came only at night then, and fish were properly cooked; rings were only for married couples, and the only time he ever heard the word "precious" was from his grandmother's frail lips as she ran time worn fingers through his once thick hair.

There was no precious now, just darkness and icy water, cold, hard fish and a rocky island.

Stony mountain walls that rose up high, walls that echoed sounds from times that the lake had not swallowed.

Sometimes Gollum thought he heard Baggins's voice, slightly shaky but still loud in his ear - playing once and then playing again, so loud that surely even the creatures swimming in the lake depths could hear it.

Then it would stop, and the lake would turn silent and still again; no longer was it interested in trying to answer riddles long before answered.


	17. Returning (Tauriel x Beorn)

Tauriel had not been sure what to think of Beorn's home once she finally saw it; perhaps she had been expecting an old place, something that looked older than the very Misty Mountains it stood by, or perhaps a dark, lonely spot for somewhere so close to Mirkwood. Instead, she saw a nice wooden home surrounded by a stone wall, with various wooden fences set up to house animals. Bees buzzed across fields of flowers, and birds flew through lush, green leafed trees.

Beorn had relaxed the moment he saw the place, the last visible lines of worry leaving his skin as he gazed upon his abode. It had probably only been a few weeks since he had left his following the Orcs for the fateful battle on the gate of Erebor, but those weeks had been more eventful than entire decades in Tauriel's life.

While Beorn entered into his yard, stepping through the stone archway, Tauriel stayed back, her eyes on the dark forest in the distance.

Though Beorm hurried inside, motioning for her to follow, Tauriel was unsure of how to respond; in the end, the earnest look on his face prompted her feet to move forward after him.

Large bees buzzed past her, long grass tickled her legs, and the aroma of flowers filled her nose. Inside, Beorn began to make food, until the place was soon filled with the warm smell of bread baking.

Thranduil had requested that she escort the skin changer, their ally in battle, to his home; she supposed there was no harm in staying with him a bit longer and trying to find what little joy was still left in the world.


	18. Spells (Filiel)

When the dwarves all finally fell asleep, a closely snuggled, tired group surrounding a hobbit, all had been sure that the strange happenings of the day would be over. Their eyes would shut, a few would possibly dream, but when they woke up again they would merely face hungry bellies; whatever they had seen of feasting elves that day, it was either some sort of trick set up by the elves or one of the forest's many hallucinations.

Fili had not expected to see his brother's bright eyes or feel him shaking him awake.

"It's not my turn for watch yet," Fili had said, eyes still half closed.

"Fili, the elves are back, and they have food!"

Kili's earnest words and descriptions of the savory meats and soft breads had awakened the company and raised their spirits, though Fili remained near the end of the group; though he did not doubt that his brother had seen the elves feasting in the forest, he had no reason to believe that the elves would not vanish once more once they stepped before their magic tables.

The table, when they found it, was exactly as Kili had described it, with a long table full of feasting elves and luxurious food. And though Fili admired the rich delicacies laid across the table, and laid his eyes on the golden haired Mirkwood king (surely none other than his uncle's enemy) drinking red wine at the head of the table, it was the woman at his side that caught his eyes. Her hair was red, a sharp contrast from the brown and blond haired elves feasting around her; on her neck were white jewels, and looked almost as if stars had been plucked from the sky and placed around her neck. On her back was a quiver of arrows, and in her hand was bread dipped in honey; she held the bread out, meeting his eyes (her gaze so sharp and clear that Fili was sure that she saw through her very soul), and on his face her eyes stayed until a dwarf stumbled forward and the spell broke, leaving the company again in the forest's darkness.


	19. Patience (Taurwen)

Though Mirkwood was her home, and had been even when the forest was still green, there was something comforting about the elven lands nesting below the Misty Mountains. It was as if the land was wrapped in a serene, unshakeable peace.

Leaves crunched under her feet as Tauriel walked through the land. She had only seen Rivendell in early spring or the middle of the summer, and had never stayed long enough to see even the leaves begin to change hues.

"Oh, I have so much to show you," Arwen said, her white skirt swishing as she walked. Her hand was held tightly in Tauriel's own, and her shining blue eyes remained locked on Tauriel's own. "It has been so long since we last saw each other!"

Her words were true; it had been a few decades since Tauriel had last left Mirkwood to come visit, and waiting to see Arwen again was hard. Unlike the elder elves, Tauriel was still unused to the turnings of times - while many elves blinked and a century passed, Tauriel waded through the deep waters of seconds. Still, the pain was all worth it, vanishing in an instant, when Tauriel's journey east finally ended and the two women could reunite.


	20. Inked (Dwori, Modern AU)

Dwalin was no stranger to going under the needle - at least if his head, arms, and knuckles showed anything. He even had a few that most others had not seen, save the person who gave him the tattoo and Ori - and Ori was the whole reason that he was there.

The shop that Dwalin was in was on one of his least favorite sides of town, but only for some of the people living there. Old rivalries took a long while to die, but for Ori, Dwalin could look past just about anything. Besides, the woman, Tauriel, giving him his tattoo was nice enough, with muscular, tattoo covered arms and long red hair; she even had cracked a few jokes to him when he had arrived at his appointment.

"One question," Tauriel said, looking directly at him, "just a company policy."

"What?"

"The tattoo type you want, the classic heart with a name, though a good choice, is also commonly removed; to avoid complaints and removals, I'm required by my boss to ask if you really want this and if you are sure this relationship will work out."

Dwalin couldn't help but laugh, and raised his hand and showed off his ring - a diamond one that Ori had saved up for months to buy him. "Does this answer your question?"


	21. Restless (Gen)

Tilda looked so small, hidden under a pile of blankets and wrapped up in a ball, her hands held over her knees. She squeaked when the door to her room had opened, and only relaxed when she saw who was there.

"Tilda," Sigrid said as she stepped closer to her bed, "what story did Bain tell you this time?" Their older brother had a habit of sharing gruesome tales among his friends and then recounting them to his youngest sister; Sigrid had tried to get him to stop, but he persisted on.

Sigrid yawned and rubbed her eyes; the only light was from the full moon streaming in through the window.

Tilda always looked like this whenever Bain told her a new tale; from what Sigrid learned, Bain's stories were getting progressively more and more violent.

Sitting down on Tilda's bed, Sigrid wrapped her arm around her sister and held her close. She considered repeating her question, but instead held her silent sister against her chest, holding her tight. Eventually, Tilda's shaking stopped and her eyes were able to close.


	22. Tasty Treats (Filiel)

Tauriel had never seemed like the baking type, at least not at Fili's first glance. Then again, it was not hard to blame himself for that when the first time that he had seen the elf warrior was when she was fighting off a spider in the dark forest of Mirkwood; anyone who fired one arrow after the other and got black spider blood stuck in their hair hardly looked like the type to bake in their free time.

"So how is the new Erebor kitchen working for you?" Tauriel had requested one ever since she moved into the mountain, which had been shortly after the battle; however, it had taken a few months of cleaning the mountain and political deals sorted before her wish could be granted.

Tauriel looked up and smiled at Fili. "Even better than I originally thought. Would you care to try something for me?"

Fili nodded, though he raised an eyebrow - whatever he was smelling, it had neither the familiar and scent of bread, nor the sweet smells of cake or chocolate chip cookies.

"Apple tarts," Tauriel said, wiping dough off from her face.

Fili couldn't help but cringe; considering how he had left Mirkwood, clinging to a barrel that stunk of apples for dear life while he and his friends were being chased by orcs, he hardly could care for the fruit. Still, that was time long past; whatever had happened before had happened - as of now, there was only the warm scent of freshly baked treats in the air and the bright smile on Tauriel's face.


	23. Winding Roads (Boffins)

It was hard to believe that once all he had desired was to get back home to Bag End. Home hardly seemed like the right word for it now. If his adventure had taught Bilbo anything, then it was that home wasn't just a place, but the feeling of another. He had always felt more at home in the arms of a warm, smiling miner than he did in the arms of his father's old arm chair.

Bilbo dreamed of the past, when the world was bigger and nothing held him back. He supposed that world still existed, beyond his doors and down winding roads far past the Shire. And as the days passed, Bilbo couldn't help but feel that the road was shortening, and soon he would run down it once more, never again looking back.


	24. Yes (Kiliel)

"Do you think that she could have loved me?"

Back when he had said it, a Orcs had just attacked and Kili had a record fever. It had been nothing but a rhetorical question he asked no one in particular (he could not have asked her, not when his fevered mind did not really believe her to be there). Back then, Tauriel had thought nothing of it.

As the weeks passed and the (inevitable in retrospect) battle drew closer, she almost thought of answering him; at least then she would have an answer. But it was hard to know the ways of her heart, especially as everyone grew desperate and feared for their lives, and she couldn't be sure if her answer would have really been true. Kili was too good of a dwarf to be lied to his face, whether he realized the words were false or not.

In the end, it did not matter; though Tauriel knew her answer (yes, yes, Kili, yes), there was no one left to tell. With one last look at the mountain of Erebor (the mountain that he and his brother and uncle had given everything that they had for), she turned and followed Thranduil and Legolas. Unless ghosts listened to the words of the yet living, only bone cold rocks and dusty tombs would hear her answer.


	25. Recounts (Orilik)

The quest had worn on the book, as new as it had been when Ori first brought it to Bag End. The pages had grown yellow and water stained, ink was smudged, and a layer of dust had formed on the red cover. Ori wiped the dust off, but could only stare at the ink smudges and ripped pages; he was skilled with books, but some things could just never be repaired.

Flipping through the pages, Ori skimmed the words. In hindsight, it seemed more like a journal than an official quest log, though he doubted that he could be blamed for that; the book had been smuggled past goblins and Mirkwood elves, and when both events occurred no one had truly cared just how sloppy his writing was, not when there were so many other things to worry about.

Certain drawings caught his eyes, and some paragraphs he read word for word. In his frantic writing and scribbling, he had described the youngest prince often, and his book included everything from a description of dinner that he had caught to the nights when he had watch.

Without thinking, Ori held the book close to him and breathed in the musty smell; this was his book now. No one would want to read it now, not when their grief for the heirs of Durin was still fresh.

Choking back a sob, Ori opened the book once more and immersed himself in memories and illusions of happier times, when the world was just a story to him and Kili still lived on in more than just words and doodles.


	26. Out of Three (Gen)

"Aww, no fair! Tilda won again."

The girl in question merely grinned over at her brother before taking the full pot of chocolate coins. Sigrid, who had only been half paying attention to the game, nibbled slowly on a chocolate coin that she herself had won. That seemed to satisfy her, as she paid little attention to Tilda's winnings.

"Can't we just play one more time?" Bain pleaded, reaching out his hand and grabbing the clay dreidel from where it sat on the table.

"That," Tilda replied, "is what you asked the last three times I won."


	27. Dog Days (Gen, Modern AU)

Dis smiled down at the small red-haired girl and her uncle.

"Is today the day?" Dis asked.

Galion patted his niece's arm. "She's finally earned her puppies."

"She definitely has." Tauriel was too young to be a regular volunteer, as she was only in kindergarten, but she came into the animal shelter more often than any of Dis's other volunteers.

Fili and Kili, two Labrador retrievers (one yellow and one brown), ran up to her. Tauriel was always the one to play and care for them, throwing balls and brushing fur, and Dis couldn't think of a more responsible owner.


	28. The Mistakes We All Make (Gen)

There was no longer time to stall. Soon, traffic would increase around Lake Town, whose people were struggling enough already, and would surely increase even more around the mountain.

It didn't take long to pack. The supplies that Thranduil had brought had been distributed among the few survivors.

Only a few elven tents still remained standing. In one of them, Tauriel sat, eyes blank.

"You have not packed."

"You banished me." Her voice was sad and low.

"Do you think to stay here?" Thranduil sighed. Everyone had mistakes to fix, even him. "What more can the mountain offer you now?"


	29. The Shifting of Time (Sigriel)

She was old now, her hair having gone from a light grey to a pure white. Sigrid's skin had wrinkled, and throughout the years Tauriel had watched her, memorizing the features of her changed face. What she saw one morning might not have been what Tauriel saw the day before, but she was still Sigrid.

Sigrid, the girl whom she had saved from orcs. Sigrid, the girl who followed her father into battle.

Sigrid, the woman who changed the east.

Sigrid, the one person that made Tauriel's heart ache.

Yes, she was old, but Sigrid was as beautiful as ever.


	30. Familiar Doors (Gen, Modern AU)

"Ah yes," Nori said, waving his chopsticks dramatically in the air. "Dinner at a Chinese place, my favorite Christmas tradition."

He managed to get a chuckle out of Ori, while Dori rolled his eyes.

"If we hadn't gotten here so early the whole synagogue probably would have dined with us."

Nori snorted. Had Dori actually made a joke?

From what he could tell, not much had changed since Nori had left. Ori was still preparing for his bar mitzvah and Dori still ran his tea shop. The place and food was familiar.

Maybe that's what made his visit even better.


	31. Tacky (Orilik, Modern AU)

"It's your size, right?" Ori asked.

Kili nodded. The sweater was a little baggy, but most sweaters were.

"Oh, I'm so glad you like it! It took me eight days to knit." Ori giggled. "Ironic, huh?"

Kili nodded again, though his eyes were on his menorah and dreidel covered sweater. Tacky didn't even begin to describe it. This would surely get some laughs out of Fili and Tauriel once they saw it. "Thanks, Ori." Kili smiled. "I really love it. It's like having you around hugging me all the time."

Ori beamed, his smile worth every laugh Kili would get.


	32. Language (Sigriel)

By the time Tauriel got away from Legolas, hours felt like they had passed. To Legolas it had probably felt like the blink of an eye, but Tauriel had found herself becoming increasingly aware of what had once been the quiet passing of time.

"You're back," Sigrid said. "I was worried."

"Was I gone that long?" And on a night Tauriel had wished to spend with Sigrid no less!

Sigrid nodded. "That must have been an important discussion on Mirkwood."

Tauriel couldn't hold back a gasp. "You understand Elvish?"

Sigrid smirked. "I have learned more from you than you think."


	33. Impress (Orilik and Filiel)

"What are you doing, Kili?"

Kili glared at his brother. "You broke my concentration."

"On what?"

Kili held his yarn and knitting needles up. "What does it look like? I'm learning for Ori."

Fili chuckled. "I don't think that's how you'll woo him." Fili sat down beside him. "Let me tell you a thing about love, little brother. I tried to impress Tauriel by learning archery. I nearly shot her head off."

"How could I forget that?" Kili laughed and dropped his knitted mess. Maybe his brother had a point; after all, Tauriel still loved Fili. Besides, Kili's hands ached.


	34. Grim (Gen)

The news was grim. The Dark Lord had risen again (as Thranduil knew he would). Thranduil hadn't known who worked against Sauron.

Thranduil had made the messenger repeat two names.

"Tauriel," the messenger repeated, "and Legolas. They claimed to have been sent by you."

Thranduil wondered which thought up the lie. Though Tauriel had a quick wit and strong will, Legolas knew how to get whatever he desired. Both wanted to be heroes, fighting for ideals (they'd likely die for). They had been fighting for decades, even after the bloody battle ended and Thranduil last set his eyes on them.


End file.
